Lead Architect

HSBC; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global banking and financial services organization is seeking a Lead Architect for their Digital Business Banking Platform in Sheffield. This full-time role demands 14+ years of experience in system architecture with expertise in microservices, Java, and Spring Boot. You will design scalable, secure architectural solutions and drive innovation for digital banking services. This position offers significant opportunities for collaboration with cross-functional teams and aims to shape the future of banking for UK SMEs.

Qualifications

• 14+ years of experience in system architecture and microservices.
• Hands-on experience in backend development with Java (11+) and Spring Boot.
• Proven capability in designing and deploying applications on GCP.

Responsibilities

• Design and define the architectural roadmap for the Digital Business Banking Platform.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to align architecture with business goals.
• Implement a microservices-based architecture leveraging Java and Spring Boot frameworks.

Skills

Leadership in technical discussions

Java (11+)

Spring Boot

GCP services (GKE, Cloud Functions)

Microservices and RESTful APIs

CI/CD pipelines

Docker and Kubernetes

Agile environments communication

Job description

If you’re looking for a career that will help you stand out, join HSBC, and fulfil your potential — whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, with operations in 64 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people to fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions.

Lead Architect – Digital Business Banking Platform

Based in Sheffield, this is a full‑time position for an experienced professional with 14+ years in system architecture, microservices, Java, and Spring Boot. You’ll play a pivotal role in defining the technical vision, ensuring our platform is scalable, secure, and high‑performing, and driving innovation across our digital banking solutions.

As Lead Architect, you’ll collaborate with cross‑functional teams—including product managers, engineers, and stakeholders—to align technology with business goals. You’ll advocate for and implement modern micro‑services‑based architecture, actively participate in coding and design reviews, and drive DevOps practices and cloud adoption (GCP). Your leadership will help shape the future of digital banking for UK SMEs, making a real impact on how businesses bank with us.

Responsibilities

• Design and define the architectural roadmap for the Digital Business Banking Platform, ensuring scalability, security, and high performance.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, working closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to align architecture with business goals.
• Implement a micro‑services‑based architecture leveraging Java and Spring Boot frameworks.
• Actively participate in coding, design reviews, and solution implementation for critical components.
• Drive the implementation of DevOps practices, ensuring efficient CI/CD pipelines and robust monitoring mechanisms.
• Architect cloud‑native solutions using Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services (e.g., GKE, Cloud Functions, BigQuery, Pub/Sub) and guide teams in adopting GCP best practices.

Skills Required

• Ability to lead technical discussions, make architectural decisions, mentor teams, and define best practices.
• Proficiency in backend development with hands‑on experience in Java (11+) and Spring Boot.
• Proven experience designing and deploying applications on GCP, including familiarity with GKE, Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub, and BigQuery.
• Practical knowledge of designing and building microservices, RESTful APIs, and event‑driven systems.
• Expertise in building CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitLab, or Azure DevOps, and knowledge of containerisation (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to drive collaboration across distributed teams in agile environments.

This role can be based in either Sheffield, Birmingham or Leeds.

Diversity & Inclusion

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces—no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader, and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long‑term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Application Support

If you need accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk:

Email: [e-mail]

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